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by
Deborah Kaufman & Jenni Olsen
(cont'd
from page 2)
Booking
Note that film/videomakers and distributors will have to be contacted
at least six to eight weeks prior to your play date to ensure film availability.
Film rental fees will have to be negotiated individually on the basis
of factors such as theatre size, ticket price, film length, and the
nature of your presenting organization. Follow up with distributors
to ensure that films were sent on time.
Before calling distributors and film/videomakers, map out a provisional
schedule with alternate dates. The film you want may not be available
on the date you need it, so have an alternate date in mind when you
call. Determine scheduling possibilities, prioritize speakers or visiting
directors, and be sure of all other arrangements before you commit a
speaker to a date.
 Early
in your planning, have a clear sense of what your film/video rental
budget is in relation to the number of films and videos you intend to
present. You do not want to exhaust your whole budget by booking titles
that you really cannot afford. And remember to figure in your shipping
and insurance costs – this is an area where costs are usually higher
than expected.
Try to get a number of titles from the same distributor and ask for
a package deal with them. Offer to trade ads in your catalog in exchange
for the rental, or to promote their home video line, etc. Be creative
and do not be afraid to haggle – it never hurts to ask for a lower rental
rate. When booking feature films, avoid percentage deals if you can,
and try to get flat rate rentals. Use extra caution and be prepared
for the extra expense and the tremendous hassles of overseas film bookings.
The cost of foreign shipping is often as much, or more, than a domestic
rental might be and it can be quite complicated to deal with pro-forma
invoices and customs.
Keep all booking information in one place. Make a file for each film
which includes names, phone numbers, addresses, playdates, running times,
rental and shipping costs, instructions and procedures, agreements and
details to be taken care of. Be organized and be attentive to any special
requirements regarding film projection formats which may involve additional
expense. Be sure that your theatre/space is capable of projecting what
you are booking (PAL, magnetic sound, wide-screen film formats, etc.).
SHIPPING
FILMS AND VIDEOS
When shipping films within the U.S., be sure to allow enough transit
time - at least seven days. Remember that films can get delayed or lost,
so use a shipper that can track and trace all shipments. Do not send
films by regular U.S. mail. To avoid nightmares, make follow-up calls
to the filmmaker to confirm when the film was sent and when it will
arrive. Allow extra time - at least a few weeks - for shipping films
in and out of the U.S. To avoid a trip to airport customs, insist that
overseas packages be sent by door-to-door courier. Early on establish
a connection with a customs broker at your nearest airport. The customs
broker will help you clear films upon entry into the U.S. from abroad.
Always insure films to protect everyone from possible losses.
PROMOTION
MATERIALS
Develop a set of materials many weeks before your program begins: program
notes, promotional flyers, posters, press packets, and advertising slicks.
Make sure there is visual continuity among all materials. A simple and
clean look works best because there is so much information to convey
in print, whether you are preparing for a single one-night screening,
or a festival of thirty films and twenty programs over a ten-day period.
It is essential to prepare a calendar for the production of materials
because deadlines become increasingly important as screening dates draw
closer.
Do not forget to request pre-printed promotional materials, photos,
and reviews from film distributors. Your local library has bound volumes
of The New York Times and Variety with film reviews.
 Catalog/Program
Depending on the size of your event you may want to produce a catalog
or small program with descriptions, photos, dates, times, locations,
ticket prices, a letter of introduction, a ticket-order form, list of
sponsors, and other information. Look at other film festival/series
programs and publicity materials to get ideas. Design options include:
a one page insert in your local Jewish newspaper (you can ask for an
over-run so you will have extra copies for mailing and for giving to
audiences at the venue); a small photocopied flyer or poster with your
schedule on it; a fully designed and printed catalog. As always, think
about your budget – how you want your program to be distributed to reach
your audience. Potential sponsors will want to know how widely distributed
your program will be. Take some space in your program to thank all the
people who helped with the event.
Mailing Lists
and Mailings
Mailings can be an extremely effective means of promotion. They are
more cost effective than ads, and more reliable than news stories because
you are in control of your message. Mail four to six weeks in advance
of a program to increase promotion and boost advance ticket sales. Focus
on target audiences to be effective. In addition to an extensive database
of individuals, the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival sends programs
to specially targeted Jewish groups (not Federations or Jewish community
center lists in whose newspapers and bulletins we can appear). We target
groups such as Hillel/Jewish student organizations, Jewish studies departments
at colleges, and Jewish cultural groups or museums. Depending on your
program, the mailing can also be sent to the membership of media groups
such as local film societies, film studies departments at colleges,
multi-cultural media-arts organizations, and museums and galleries with
an interest in ethnic art or media presentation. Use a mail house or
volunteers depending on the volume of the mailing. Ask your post office
about bulk mail procedures and non-profit permits. If this is your first
festival, give yourself time to learn what is involved.
Organizational
Newsletters and
Co-Presentations
To benefit from this useful form of free promotion, provide your press
release and other background information to organizations in time for
their monthly or quarterly mailings. Suggested targets for newsletter
promotions include Jewish organizations; women’s, labor, seniors, gay/lesbian,
and inter-faith groups; along with Israeli associations.
One way to ensure community involvement is to ask a specific group
to “co-present” a film or video screening that is related to their constituency
or area of interest. In exchange for lending their name to the program
and bringing in their audience, the group will have an opportunity to
distribute their literature at the screening and you may want to give
them a few tickets for their staff or volunteers. You may also want
to invite their staff to help introduce the program or participate in
a post-screening discussion.
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